Despite being the snappiest dresser among the DC super hero set, Aquaman got a bad rap as a result of being one of the core ‘Super Friends’ on the long-running Saturday morning cartoon which ran during the 1970s-80s. The character was always under utilized next to bigger guns like Superman and Wonder Woman and even Batman, whose super power appeared to be the ability to pull whatever the hell he needed out of his utility belt. (Bat Bazooka, anyone?) Aquaman’s perceived limitations became a punchline over the years, but Jason Momoa, who plays DC’s King of the Seven Seas in their upcoming films vows that that is about to change.
While appearing at a panel at Canada Fan Expo, Momoa was unable to reveal too much about ‘Batman V Superman’ or any other upcoming films, but acknowledged Aquaman’s lack of respect, but insisted that skeptics would soon feel differently.
“It’s cute and funny, people make fun of him, there’s a bunch of jokes about him, but I’m like, ‘Just wait. Let’s just wait a little bit, and then you can make jokes.'”
It should be pointed out, Aquaman’s weak reputation originates strictly from the ‘Super Friends.’ In the comics and in subsequent animated appearances, Aquaman is shown to be nearly bulletproof and super humanly strong, which is necessary for a character who can withstand the pressures of the ocean depths. His mighty legs which allow him to swim at super speed are strong enough to allow him to leap great distances on land. (Pfft… land.) And as the king of a sovereign nation, he is a master strategist and leader.
Momoa hinted that his role as Khal Drago on ‘Game of Thrones’ will influence Aquaman a bit. Khal Drago was a powerful barbarian ruler type, an approach that has been applied to more modern Aquaman comics, so bringing some of that energy to this role makes perfect sense.
You can check out Momoa’s brief discussions about playing the Sea King below:
What do you think? Is Aquaman’s loser reputation too much to overcome? Or is it just a matter of presenting an imposing take on the character for people to identify with? Comment below!
Source: ComicBook.com